Chapter Eighteen
“I’m here,” Kat growled into the phone before stabbing the disconnect button. She’d spent the day answering Xavier’s phone calls. Every damn half hour as ordered, her aggravation increasing with every minute that passed. Of course they’d given Xavier the task. She’d go off on Alex or Stephen, but Xavier…she didn’t know him like she knew his brothers. He remained somewhat of an enigma, she couldn’t get a read on his personality. He always seemed so calm, but something told her she really didn’t want to find out what lay beneath the surface.
In between phone calls, she was trying to figure out how the hell she could investigate a case while she was essentially on lockdown. At least she didn’t have an ankle monitor. But she wouldn’t put it past Alex to slap one on her.
“You’re home.”
Kat nearly jumped out of her lounge chair as she looked up at Ethan. His eyes were burning with a touch of anger, a touch of something else she couldn’t read. And that suddenly, all her senses were on full alert, the instinct to run nearly overwhelming, but she couldn’t fathom why she’d feel that way. This was Ethan, after all. But every hair on her body stood up, her skin prickling with…fear wasn’t the right word, but she wasn’t sure what the right word was.
“Of course I am.” She gave him a little laugh along with a look of confusion. As if she’d been there all along, although they both knew that wasn’t true. But the subtle shake in her voice gave way to the truth of her nervousness.
“I was worried.”
He was always worried, treating her with those damn kid-gloves that never came off.
Wrong, Kat. They’re definitely off now.
Her heart pounded. Ethan still hadn’t moved a muscle, but it didn’t make her feel any less trapped, pinned against the lounge chair by his stare alone. “I’m sorry. I should have called.”
He gave her a slight nod of acknowledgement, stalking a little closer so she had no choice but to look up at him. Kat finally willed her legs to move, swinging them off the chair as she tightened the cover-up around her bathing suit, feeling beyond naked. Slowly she stood, refusing to acknowledge that her legs trembled a bit, wondering if she could make a run for it before she told herself the thought was ridiculous. This was Ethan, she reminded herself again. “Next time—”
“Oh, sweetheart,” he chuckled. “There won’t be a next time.”
He said the words casually, a hint of humor in his tone. It took her too long to catch up, to comprehend what he’d said, and by then it was way too late.
Ethan moved fast. One second she was still rounding the lounge chair, the next he had her lifted and pinned against the back of her house, his mouth crashing down on hers.
There was no gentle press of his lips. No warning. Just an insistent invasion of his tongue as it thrust against hers, demanding a response. She raised her hands to his shoulders, intent on pushing him away, but it was already too late. She was already lost, transported back so many years, giving in to a temptation she’d long been denied. And the box where she’d shoved all those feelings, not just opened, but exploded. Her arms wrapped around his neck without conscious thought, as if they had a mind of their own. And in another second, she was meeting every thrust of his tongue with her own, six years of want and need exploding through her in that one moment as she clung to him, praying he wouldn’t ever stop.
And then he changed the kiss. Slowing. Taking it from a desperate attack to a slow seduction when he felt her surrender.
“You’re mine, Kat,” he said against her lips, before tugging on her hair until their eyes met. “You’ve been mine since I pulled you from that fire.” Then he was kissing her again as her heart swelled against her chest. His words…how long had she been waiting to hear those words? Sooo long. Too long. She heard her own whimper, pathetically desperate, Ethan’s answering growl, his arousal obvious as he pressed against her.
Kat wrapped her legs around him at the same moment he slid his hand up her side, brushing over the wound and she yelped. Ethan froze, tearing his mouth from hers.
“What’s wrong?” he managed to choke out.
She couldn’t answer, her heart beating too loudly in her ears. So loud she wondered if Ethan could hear it, too. She sucked in a breath, or at least attempted to, her body still trembling with aftereffects. She leaned forward, not yet ready for him to end the kiss, not wanting the questions, but he moved his head back.
“What happened, Kat?”
Wasn’t it obvious? she wondered in a daze of lust. He’d kissed her and just like that, she’d surrendered. So easily. Stephen was right—
Stephen.
Oh, God. What the hell had she just done? She pushed against Ethan’s chest, clamoring for escape when he let her feet drop down to the floor, breathing a sigh of relief. Prematurely. Because in the next second, Ethan’s hands were all over her, frantically skimming up and down her body and she was unable to hold back her cry of pain.
“What the fuck happened?” His voice was a furious whisper as he yanked off her cover-up.
“Ethan!” she yelled, fully out of her haze of desire. Understanding finally dawning that he’d been asking about her injuries. “What the hell?”
Ethan untied the back of her bathing suit, leaving her fully exposed to him. He sucked in a breath before his gaze moved from her breasts to her side. Kat gasped, covering herself with her arm, furiously trying to escape when he grabbed her other arm, gently but firmly, lifting it, his eyes on the bandage. She tried to back up, to keep her arms around her bare breasts, but it was useless. He pulled back the medical tape.
“What. The fuck. Happened?”
“I fell,” Kat said through gritted teeth. “It’s not a big deal. Let me go.”
“That is not from a fucking fall! What the hell did he do to you?” he roared, so loud it shocked her.
“Let me go!” she cried which ended in a scream seconds later when she was ripped out of Ethan’s grasp, so fast she felt her skin burn where his hand had been gripped on her arms.
“Keep your hands off her, Ethan.”
Stephen’s voice was low and deadly, yet somehow seemed to echo throughout the mountains surrounding her house. A tone she’d never heard from him before, one that had her own heart pounding with fear. She was pressed against his side, his arm tight around her waist in a crushing embrace she couldn’t possibly escape from.
“You bastard!” Ethan’s fist landed against Stephen’s jaw without warning, his head snapping back, recovering before Kat could yell again, landing a breath stealing punch in Ethan’s gut, another one landing on Ethan’s face that knocked him to his knees.
***
“Stop!”
Stephen heard Kat’s scream just before she pulled his arm back, using nearly her entire body, which he dragged a few inches before he could land another punch. He had to fight his way through the red haze of his fury, her hands pushing him back, every muscle tensed to fight, to land another blow that would put Ethan out of his misery.
“Go inside, Kat. Get dressed,” he ordered, never taking his eyes from Ethan. “Now!” he barked when she didn’t move, making her jump.
As soon as the French door slammed, he was on Ethan, raising him with a fist in his shirt, slamming him into the back of Kat’s house. “You manipulative prick!” he sneered. “Do you even realize what you’re doing to her? Hanging the fact that you saved her life over her head? You gonna fucking guilt her into choosing you?”
“What the hell are you talking about, Chandler?”
“‘You’ve been mine from the day I pulled you out of the fire,’” he quoted. “What the hell is that shit?”
“Worried you’ll lose?” Ethan sneered, shoving him. Stephen let his hand fall away, still primed to fight if Ethan moved so much as an inch. He didn’t want a war with Ethan, at least not one involving fists. It was beneath him.
“No, Ethan,” Stephen sighed. “I’m not worried I’ll lose. I’m worried Kat will.”
Because no matter what happened between them, he wanted Kat to be happy, wanted her to follow her heart, no matter where it led. Even if it killed him.
With a final look of disgust at Ethan, he went through the French doors, making his way through Kat’s house. Damage control, he thought as he took the stairs toward her bedroom.
Locked. Not that he blamed her. He leaned his head against the door, Ethan’s words still echoing in his head, trying to erase the images of Kat in Ethan’s arms so he could pretend he never saw them together, at least for her sake. But the fear of losing her had just doubled, the pain nearly unbearable. “Open the door, Kat.”
“Go away,” came her muffled response. At least it didn’t sound like she was crying. He’d take her pissed off over crying any day.
“Open the door or I’ll bust it open.” He breathed, counted to ten. “Last warning I’m gonna give you.” Nice. Now he was threatening her.
She flung the door open. When she would have rushed into the hall, he pushed her back in, shutting the door behind him, locking it. He tried to clear his expression, giving her no hint of the jealousy that still ran through his veins.
“Did you kill him?”
“I wanted to,” Stephen said easily, his temper easing slightly at the sight of her. At least she was dressed. “How’s the wound?”
“It’s fine.”
“Let me see.”
“I think enough people have seen my boobs the past couple days.”
He ignored that. “Now, Kat.”
“I am not stripping for you!”
“You have before.”
Kat sucked in a breath, the air in the room changing around them, becoming so thick it was hard to breathe. He never took his eyes off her as he stalked closer, his slight smile broadening when she took a step back. “Or would you rather have me strip you?” he teased, lowering his voice, stalking again. Smiling when she backed up a step.
“You’re no better than Ethan.”
That man’s name had no place in her bedroom, but he let it go. “Ah, but if it were my hands on you, I bet I could turn you into a quivering mess. Make you wet for me,” he growled, reaching for her. She backed up, halted by the bed which she fell against, plopping on her ass. His smile widened and he knew she was reacting to the wicked glint in his eyes, enjoyed seeing her squirm. “Or maybe you already are? Perhaps we should check that at the same time.”
Kat laughed, as he’d been hoping. Jesus, he wanted to kiss her, wanted her back in his arms so badly he ached. But hell if she would taste like Ethan when he did.
“You’re incorrigible.”
“What I am is aroused. You have a nasty habit of sneaking out of my bed. I had plans for you this morning,” he growled.
“I didn’t sneak.”
Stephen parted her legs with his, moving in between them before reaching down, playing with the hem of her shirt, encouraged when she didn’t slap his hand away. “You did. And I think we both know the solution for that, don’t we? In fact, we discussed it just yesterday.”
He noticed the shiver she couldn’t quite hide, but instead of encouraging him, it made him feel…he wasn’t sure what. They were tearing her apart, neither one of them willing to walk away. Forcing her to make an impossible decision. And no matter who she chose, her heart would be tinged with sadness, wouldn’t it?
Because she’d lose the other.
Stephen dropped the edge of her shirt and walked toward the windows overlooking her backyard. “I spoke with my brothers—”
“Your brothers—”
“Are worried about you,” he interrupted, turning to face her again. “I am too. And before you ask, no, I didn’t know what they had planned, but I can’t say I disagree with their decision.”
He watched the spark come back, saw her open her mouth, but didn’t let her get out whatever smart remark she’d make. “I don’t want you hurt. Or worse.” He let that statement hang with a pointed glance at her chest. “Alex wanted you to know he verified that Jessica Adams was attacked by her husband.” He paused. “They’ve got it under control. Another day, two at the most, they’ll have my name cleared.” He lied without guilt. Because if that’s what it took to keep her safe...
“Really?” Kat gasped, jumping up from the bed, eyes wide with excitement.
“Really.” He forced a smile he didn’t feel, hoping she wouldn’t see through him. She launched herself into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He lifted her up, her legs immediately encircling his waist. And now the guilt set in, but he pushed it aside. “They’ll be up in a bit, okay? Just tell them what you’re working, what you know. Then maybe, think about letting it go?”
Ethan banged on the door before Kat responded. “We’ve got company.”
***
Holy hell, Kat thought when she walked into the kitchen. Surrounded by Chandlers. Ethan glanced at her, appearing just as irritated as she felt. Ignoring the rest of them, she glared at Alex. “I’ve been answering my phone.”
Alex smiled. “Good girl.”
She all but vibrated with annoyance and had to clench her hands into fists to avoid attacking him. She never would have believed she had a violent streak, but right now, she’d love nothing more than causing Alex physical pain.
“What’s going on, Alex?” Ethan finally asked, glancing between the two of them.
But Alex’s gaze remained locked on Kat. “You haven’t told him?”
“Told me what?” Ethan asked, suddenly on alert, his body tensing.
Alex glanced over at him. “Katie here has been investigating a case she has no business investigating. One I’ve warned her, more than once, to stay away from. Seems I finally figured out how to keep her…caged.”
“Not funny, Alex. And I’m still pissed, so unless you’d like me to wipe that stupid smile off your face—”
“Threatening a law enforcement official now? We can add that to your list of crimes. Keep wracking them up, baby. See if I don’t—”
“Would somebody just explain,” Ethan warned, exasperated.
“I’m assuming you believe Jessica Adams is somehow connected to Emma’s murder,” Alex said to Kat.
Finally, Kat thought, sucking in a breath as hope flared. It’s the first time any of them had bothered to ask her what she’d learned. Were they taking her seriously now? Would they let her into the investigation? It was what she wanted all along. So Kat began with the only shred of evidence linking Emma with a decades old murder. “Emma was investigating an old murder case of a young woman named Karen Young. Karen and Emma were murdered the same way, both stabbed in the stomach, the knife left in place.”
The room went silent for long moments. Kat had everybody’s attention now, but she was only focused on Alex. “I’m listening.”
Thank God, she thought. But as the details of her investigation tumbled out, she wondered if she really learned anything important, because all she had was a whole lot of nothing. She explained about meeting with Anne Radcliffe and Karen’s former roommates, recapping about Karen’s supposed affair. An affair Kat had no evidence of yet. To his credit, Alex really was listening, hanging on every word. Slightly behind him in her peripheral vision, she could see Xavier on his own laptop and she wondered if he was recording everything so he could play it back later.
“You have the DNA report proving the baby wasn’t Greg’s?”
“Yes. But I don’t know how to verify—”
“I can worry about that,” Alex said. “Tell me your impressions, what you feel in your gut. Do you think Anne Radcliffe is lying or do you believe her?”
Kat thought about that. “Honestly, I don’t know who to believe anymore. She painted a real conniving picture of Karen Jones, which didn’t hold up with my other interviews. Supposedly, Karen and Greg were madly in love, yet they broke up without warning and nobody knew why. And again, shocking everybody they got back together, got married, and had a baby a few months later.”
“Was she fooling around with somebody else when they broke up?”
Kat shook her head. “Not that I’ve been able to find. And even if she was, the timing isn’t right. She got pregnant in November and they were still together at that point. The baby would have been Greg’s.”
“Unless he was premature.”
“There’s a copy of the baby’s birth certificate in the files. He was over eight pounds.” Kat shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“So what’s one scenario?”
Encouraged, Kat said, “Maybe she found out she was pregnant and broke up with him? Fear of what his mother would do? Fear of Greg thinking she trapped him on purpose?”
“And the flip side?”
“That she did have an affair, didn’t know who the baby’s father was, so broke up with him so she didn’t have to admit what she’d done. But that doesn’t explain why she got back together with him. Another scenario is that Anne Radcliffe lied about the timing of the DNA report. She could have had that information before Karen was killed. Told Greg and he killed Karen in a jealous rage. Or Anne found out, didn’t tell Greg, just killed Karen herself. Which, according to my interviews, wouldn’t come as a shock.”
“But…”
And Kat almost smiled at Alex. He was letting her run with her thoughts, talking out everything that was going through her head without judgement. “But I don’t believe she’d do that to her son. I’d more believe she’d kill Karen and dump her body in an alley somewhere. I certainly wouldn’t believe she’d leave Karen in her own bed, letting Greg take the fall.”
“Not even to teach Greg a lesson?”
Kat shook her head. “No. She loved Greg. And she’s been the one pushing this investigation. If she had something to hide, wouldn’t she just want to see it buried?” And even though she’d already told him when she was recapping her investigation, she repeated herself, bring it to the forefront of the conversation again. “Karen and Emma were both stabbed. Karen’s roommate was nearly beaten to death and her best friend just died of a drug overdose even though witnesses adamantly state she wasn’t a drug user.” Okay, so she was stretching that last part again. She only had two teenage boys telling her that, but still. “You can’t tell me it’s a coincidence.”
Alex was silent for another moment before he said, “After more than thirty years, why now? What triggered it?”
“Emma,” Ethan said flatly. “My father was best friends with Greg Radcliffe.” He looked at her. “Like I told you, my father spent a good part of his free time obsessing over this case.” He glanced at Alex. “Emma always knew. After our affair ended, she became hell bent on destroying me. Among other things, she started making wild accusations about why my father was so obsessed over this case, twisted everything…”
“Twisted everything? Did the accusations include accusing your father?” Alex prompted when Ethan didn’t continue.
Ethan glanced at Kat. “Exactly. I knew better than to believe her, but I went to my mother anyway. She wasn’t as shocked as I’d imagined. Apparently, my entire family saw Emma was losing it, especially my sisters. My mother thought it was time to go to her parents, see if they knew what was going on with her.”
Alex was silent for a long moment. “Your mother denied your father had anything to do with Karen Young’s murder?”
Ethan glared at Alex, finally gritting out, “Yes.”
“And we’re supposed to take your word for that?”
“If my father had killed her, people wouldn’t be dying now, would they?” Ethan pointed out, his teeth still clenched.
“If that’s why Emma was murdered, you’d have motive—”
“The hell I—”
Alex held up his hand, refusing to let the argument escalate. “I’m still not totally convinced it’s related.”
“How can you say that?” Kat said in shock. She knew there wasn’t a ton of evidence to back up her assertations, but it was at least worth investigating. She opened her mouth to say just that, but Alex cut her off.
“We’ll take it from here—”
“Wait!” Kat gasped, her heart lodging in her throat. “That’s it. Just ‘you’ll take it from here?’ But—”
“No buts,” he said sternly. “There’s so much more going on here than what you’ve uncovered. You have no idea what you’re getting involved in, baby girl.”
“Don’t patronize me,” Kat growled.
“Jesus Christ, Katie,” Alex exploded as his patience evaporated. “I’m not patronizing you. I’m trying to keep you alive!”
Feeling slightly guilty, she looked at Ethan. “As much as I hate to admit it, I’m with Alex.” She didn’t bother looking at Stephen, already knew what side of the fence he stood on.
“Give me the drive.”
Shit. She glanced back at Alex again. She hadn’t finished looking through it all. “No.”
“I’m not asking.”
“Oh…well.” She smiled sweetly. “In that case it’s a resounding no.”
“Katie,” Alex growled, clearly at the end of his rope, but she was too pissed off to care. After believing they were going to include her…having that hope dashed was somehow worse.
“Give it to him,” Ethan said.
She glanced up at him, surprised. They’d see everything, but apparently Ethan cared more about her being off the case than anything that was on the drive. “Fine,” Kat huffed, refusing to meet Stephen’s gaze as she turned toward one of the cabinets and removed the drive from a box of cereal. She walked back, slapping it into Alex’s hand. He grabbed her hand, not releasing her.
“And the paper files you got from Anne Radcliffe.”
She should have expected that, but it made her want to scream. But she didn’t, instead she growled, “Fine.”
She left the kitchen and went upstairs, Stephen following her, probably to make sure she didn’t steal any of the documents in the files. She reached between her mattress and box spring and grabbed the file, handing it to him.
“Kat—”
“Not now, Stephen. Please. I’m too pissed off to talk to you. Or anybody, for that matter. And to be perfectly honest, I’m afraid of what’ll come out of my mouth. Your brother’s a bully—”
“He’s trying to keep you safe—”
“And you’re no better—”
“We all want you safe.”
She held up her hand, signifying the end of the conversation. Like she told him, she wasn’t prepared to deal with him right now. Yeah, she understood they wanted her safe, but couldn’t they just make her a part of their investigation instead of keeping her out? Wouldn’t she be safer with them rather than left on her own? But she didn’t voice her thoughts. Instead she nodded and went back downstairs without another word, refusing to look at any of them. Within minutes they were gone, Alex’s last warning ringing in her ears.
“Don’t forget to answer your phone.”
Which left her and Ethan. She didn’t really want to deal with him, either.
“You’ve been busy. I thought I told you I didn’t want you investigating this case. Thought you were just going to analyze some data.”
She glanced up at him, saw the annoyance on his face as he moved closer. Instinctively, she backed up. She didn’t want to be touched right now, didn’t want to argue anymore right now. “I need a breather,” she warned, walking into the kitchen.
“Kat,” he warned.
“Fuck off, Ethan!” she yelled, slamming the fridge door so hard it bounced back open.
Oh my God.
She’d said those words out loud. She turned around to face him, so utterly ashamed of herself. Never once had she ever said anything so cruel to him. She opened her mouth, the apology sticking in her throat. Ethan was…livid. Devastated.
“What the hell is wrong with you, Kat?”
She sucked in a breath, ready to apologize, but that isn’t what came out of her mouth. “How can you even ask that? The four of you are treating me like a child, closing me out. You’re playing games—”
“This isn’t a game, Kat.”
Damn it, she didn’t want to do this right now. She just wanted to go to bed, forget the last couple hours happened. Before anything else she’d regret could come out of her mouth, she ran out of the kitchen, ready to head back upstairs, her emotions too close to the surface. “It sure as hell feels like it to me.”
Ethan grabbed her hand, spinning her back around. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Do I really need to spell it out for you? You know exactly what I’m talking about. Let me go. Please,” she added.
“Kat, sweetheart—”
“Oh my God, Ethan! You don’t want me. For some sick reason only you can understand, you just don’t want me with Stephen.”
His eyes narrowed in anger. “Not true—”
“The hell it isn’t!” Kat yelled, giving in to the emotions swirling through her. “Twice, Ethan. Twice you’ve kissed me and that was only when he’s been around.” She ripped her arm out his grasp and ran out of the kitchen before he could catch her. “Just leave me the hell alone.”